particracyfandomcom-20200215-history
Intelligentsia
The Consortium of Intelligentsia on the Basis of Modern Economic and Political Theory, otherwise known as the Intelligentsia Consortium or Intelligentsia in short, was a liberal conservative to libertarian think tank formed in 3760, which aimed to spark "debate on the political and socioeconomic status quo in Kirlawa" and "formulate new alternatives to widely-accepted big government policy". It is widely considered to be the predecessor to the Conservative Party of Kirlawa, although Intelligentsia continued to exist alongside the Party for several years on. Some notable members of the think tank include Alexander Magnum and Malagasy Thatcher, who were founders of the party that succeeded it. The think tank mainly focuses on promoting its free-market economic theory, with heavy emphasis on supply-side and neoclassical economics. Members of the think-tank are also associated with the Austrian and Virginian schools of economic thought. There is also a large faction of Intelligentsia members who follow the Chicago school, although this is not recognised by the party's top brass. Socially, Intelligentsia leans heavily liberal, and advocates for freedom of speech, religion, information property and marriage. Most notably, it advocates a hardline stance on international relations, and believes that Kirlawa should withdraw from major internationally legislatively-binding treaties. The group was formed out of several fringe meetings organised by members of other parties, who were disenchanted and disenfranchised by major big government initiatives and the dominant political dogma. It spiralled into a political movement, before becoming organised into a think tank by more influential members. In 3785, several members of Intelligentsia formed the CPK. As membership dwindled and its purpose as a deviant political force waned, Intelligentsia soon dissolved by a ratifying membership vote in 3800. Etymology and Usage The word "Intelligentsia" was coined for several reasons. The most basic explanation is that most of the members in Intelligentsia had received tertiary or higher education and were henceforth of an intellectual standing in society. However, the name actually has more ironic and satirical meaning behind it. Intelligentsia was named in opposition to polar opposite radical left-wing movements, which most libertarian members of the think tank were firmly against. They were often described as "intellectual bourgeoisie", or intelligentsia, for their intellectual fortitude and belief in the free market. It was to be that the think tank would be named the "Consortium of Intelligentsia", with its name expanded to playfully mimic the long titles of early economic and political papers. Intelligentsia also refers to the pro-intellectual, pro-evidence facets of the movement, which put them in conflict with antiintellectual traditional conservatives of the right. Intelligentsia is often used as a proper noun by Conservative Party and Intelligentsia documents, i.e. "The Conservative Party of Kirlawa was formed by a group of intelligentsia in 3845." History Background and Precursors In the middle of the 38th century, Kirlawa had a saturated political climate, with many different political parties promoting different ideologies represented in the General Assembly. However, there was a notable paucity of libertarian and moderately conservative parties on the political scene. The two closest parties in that respect were either too far to the left (centrist) or too far to the right (national conservative). Moreover, most parties supported big government and Kirlawa's membership in major treaties, thereby inhibiting the legislature to produce and promote its own legislation. In 3753, a number of fringe meetings were conducted in university campuses and political dialogues around the country, on the discussion of libertarian and isolationist policies in Kirlawa. Most members of these conferences were disenfranchised and disillusioned with the current state of politics, believing the governing classes to be deftly anti-intellectual and deaf to their opinions. The consensus was that there needed to be a political movement, to disseminate their ideals and messages about smaller government and less international participation. In 3756, the Freedom Movement was founded. It mainly comprised of academics and celebrities who voiced their dissatisfaction with the size of the government. Protests were held at major cities across Kirlawa, such as Telon, Indrala and Frimpton-on-Sea. The largest protest drew over 40,000 supporters, and attracted considerable media attention. The following year, the Free Kirlawa! movement was established. It petitioned the government to withdraw Kirlawa from major international treaties and "return its sovereignty to the people". Rallies were held accordingly in major cities, but it was less well-attended than the Freedom Movement's rallies, which continued into 3757 and 3758. Both movements agreed to merge under the Freedom Movement banner in 3758, to highlight both of their causes more effectively. One of the most notable campaigners was Alexander Magnum, who organised many rallies in the provinces of Nuchtmark, Dirguzia and Uwakah. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Freedom Movement and joined the Executive Committee, jokingly called "Politburo", to organise protests on a nationwide scale. He would later be instrumental to setting up the Intelligentsia network. Formation In 3759, major tensions within the movement's top echelons surfaced. There was a split between the libertarian and conservative heads. Libertarian members wanted the focus to remain on how the government should remain involved in issues of national importance, such as gun rights or the military. It was more open to liberal values and ideals, such as gay rights and abortion. Conservatives, on the other hand, wanted neoconservative representation in the political caucus, and were persistent on reducing government interference in any social and economic issues. They were also more isolationist in nature, and believed Kirlawa should withdraw from major international organisations as well. A disconcerted and disunited movement resulted in the formation of a breakaway movement, to be named the Intelligentsia Consortium. The remnants of the Freedom Movement continued to operate until 3763, when momentum behind it finally died down. A clear majority of movement participants were in favour of libertarian ideals, not conservative ones. Although initially starting out as a continuation of the Freedom Movement, with more rallies and protests organised, the heads of Intelligentsia realised that it needed to gain more influence and traction within the political mainstream for them to be legitimate gamechangers. Alexander Magnum,who was one of the proponents of setting up a split organisation, reshaped the purpose of Intelligentsia to be a think tank, organising media publicity appearances and sending advisors to the General Assembly and Senate. Constitution The basis and principles underpinning Intelligentsia is set out in the Constitution of Principles and Procedure on the Consortium, or the Constitution for short. Embedded within are twelve perambulatory articles that define the mission, vision, values and workings of the think tank.